Virtual Christmas Tree Festivals

Churches are finding innovative ways to take their Advent and Christmas activities online this year. Both Wordsley and Stanford on Teme churches are planning virtual Christmas Tree festivals on Facebook to continue to engage their communities in the much-loved annual events.

Wordsley’s festival will run from 1 to 12 December with the Stanford festival taking place from 5 to 15 December. Anyone is welcome to enter a tree into the festival by posting it onto the relevant Facebook page. At Stanford church, there will be prizes awarded to the best trees and donations are invited for Acorn’s Children’s Hospital and Maggs Day Centre in Worcester. The Wordsley festival hopes to raise funds for the church.

Colin Jones, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Wordsley, said: “Like many things, the pandemic has stopped us being able to have a Christmas Tree Festival in person this year, but we still wanted to do something to try to generate the community spirit which has been so appreciated in previous years. Taking our festival online enables more people to get involved and show off their Christmas trees!”

Julia Curtis, Vicar of Stanford on Teme, said: “We had a brilliant Christmas tree festival in church last year. Although we’re not able to do the same this year, having a virtual festival means that we can still come together as a community during Advent. We hope that people will join in and help raise money for our two fabulous charities.”

In Wordsley, the virtual festival has been positively received by many in the community. Sharon Gill usually displays ‘the wedding tree’ and said: “I know we can’t put a tree up in church this year but I think it is great that we can keep the spirit of the festival alive with our photos.” The Lace Guild commented: “This year it is very important that we spread a little joy and happiness wherever possible and the Lace Guild would love to be a part of this.”

Evergreen Christmas trees have been linked in Christianity to the everlasting promise we have in Jesus to eternal life. In the 18th Century candles were used on trees to represent Jesus as the light of the world. We place a star or an angel at the top of our tree as in the Nativity story a star guides the three wise men to the baby Jesus and a host of angels proclaim his birth.

Visit the virtual Christmas tree festivals at www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityWordsley and www.facebook.com/TemeValleySouthChurches.